The Chef

Johnny here! Chef extraordinaire with a penchant for cooking up a storm wherever I go.

Like all chefs who have a burning passion for flavour and excitement, being a boss in the kitchen just wasn’t enough so I brought my expertise to the internet, giving all of me that was left over from working the kitchen to the people on the internet in the form of my blog! So, here it is, the Left Over Chef, my blog about cooking, the kitchen, my life as a chef, nutrition and even some tasty recipes for you to try at home.

There’s plenty to see here, so take your time, I’m not going anywhere – and neither should you! I’m going to be posting on here as regularly as I can so make sure you keep looking back for new, fresh content all the time. Have a look around, leave some comments and send me a message, we’re all friends here! Think of me as the big friendly giant (big being the word here.)

Johnny The Chef

So, I’ve given you the basics of what to expect, but what about the guy who’s going to be writing all these wonderful cooking hacks and kitchen tips? I bet you want to read a thing or two about him before you put your blind faith in me guiding your hand in the kitchen and inside the fridge.

Well, I’m Johnny Cannell, born and raised in Plano, Texas. I’m your average Joe really, I like to think I’m pretty modest, but I know when I’m good and I’m damn good at cooking! While a lot of kids were playing in the dirt or smashing toy monster trucks, I was getting my hands dirty in the kitchen with my momma.

We spent hours upon hours baking in our farmhouse kitchen. She was a southern belle through and through, all about grilling up good meat and making cookouts and cakes that were simply perfection, every time. It was darling Cindy-Mary who taught me the basics of how to work a fire and how to make it tasty every time. She was great and was super talented in her own way, but I wanted more. I spent plenty of time in front of the TV watching fine dining competitions and baking masterclasses about the fine art of making food into art that you can eat.

I carried on cooking throughout my teen years after my cooking 101 from momma, my classmates would think it was weird that while they were ordering in their burgers and fries from fast food joints, I would whip out homemade versions that tasted infinitely better.

And then came the formal training. Man, that was super hard. Between internships, workshops, classes and courses I went through the mill and then some, but I came out the other side a better cook, a better chef and a better person.

My Professional Career

I had a lot of incredible opportunities throughout my career, but a lot of these opportunities came through hard work and dedication and if you want my kind of success, you really have to work for it.I started out at the bottom, as a busboy in some dodgy, back-end diner. I spent nearly a year busting tables and watching from the bottom of the pile how the chefs worked and the hierarchy in place in the kitchen.

Eventually, I was able to move up to prep chef, peeling potatoes, cutting fries and the like. It was dull, but it gave me the experience I needed to get a job at a more high-end (but still pretty standard) place that placed much better value on things like cleanliness and food presentation. It was while I was at this mid-range restaurant that I took a pastry chef course which gave me the tools and the skills to be a bit less of a burden and more of an asset in the kitchen. I got given more responsibility and I took that with both hands and ran with it.

I won’t bore you with the details, but I managed to get to head chef at the mid-range joint and, I swear to God, I took it to a whole new level. I taught that place things they could only dream about and when the time came. Restaurants began coming to me with job offers. Some of the most respected places in the state wanted me leading their kitchen. I basically had my pick and pick I did. I went from place to place giving them incredible menus and teaching everyone a thing or two.

It was during this time that began showcasing at grilling shows, think Grill Off, but much less trashy. Developing great rubs and coming up with new ways to flavour meat was like a drug to me and I prided myself on using all my combined skills to make eating at these food shows a real experience for everyone who visited.

The next step, of course, was my very own restaurant. With Meat Killer, I brought the best of both worlds to the table: fine dining with classic, southern meat-loving. Of course it was a massive success and I’ve even opened an academy for other budding young chefs who want to be manly and cook at the same time.

Left Over Chef

The blog is something that I just like to do in my spare time, sharing the knowledge and spreading the wealth of ideas that I have with the world. I’ll be posting new content regularly, so make sure you’re checking back all the time for the latest news about food and how to cook meat, veggies and pretty much everything else you can imagine.

Despite the fact that I love nothing more than meat, I am still health conscious and you can definitely do both! That’s why you’ll find tasty ways to be healthy and do great things for your healthy wellbeing on Left Over Chef.

Pair these with insights into a chefs life, things that chefs do that you should be doing too and kitchen hacks and cooking tips and there’s really not anywhere else you need to go for all your cooking needs. I’m excited to have you on board!